Taking Sides (Angst Drabbles)
by MugiwaraMarimo
Summary: (Changes the title) Sanji catches Zoro cheating on him. An AU story about what happens afterwards.
1. Kiss

Kiss

Sanji was happy. No, Sanji was _beyond_ happy. The last six months had been the best of his fucking life! After a particular long day at the Baratie with Zeff, he had come home to find a dozen long stemmed blue roses sitting in the vase on the counter.

That alone had melted his heart seeing as Zoro hardly ever did anything that romantic. As he kicked off his shoes and took off his suit jacket, lightly fingering the soft petals; the cook was left completely open and unprepared for what had occurred next.

Zoro appeared in a whirlwind, kissing him deeply and it didn't even register to Sanji that he was wearing the suit he hated so much till after he had dropped to one knee and spoken the words. He stared dumbfounded at the green haired man for a moment before choking back his tears and giving a small nod.

Never had Zoro looked so excited and relieved in one expression.

Only the closest of friends had been allowed into the Baratie the day of the wedding, the two men wanting to keep it small and personal. After very short vows and a not so short kiss, the group moved to the upstairs dinning room where the sous chef then received the best gift Zeff could offer. Well besides being handed the Baratie that was.

The old man had been in the middle of opening a small cafe across town called All Blue and it was set to open within the month. "I want you to run it Baby Eggplant." He had said as he pressed a set of keys into Sanji's hand. "With you there I know it could never fail."

The 'I love you and I'm so proud of you' came through with those words, but Sanji couldn't help but to jump at his adoptive father in a hug, uttering a very tear choked 'thank you!'

Setting a coffee cup on top of the counter, Sanji pulled his hand back to once again admire the ring he wore. The bands of blue and green swirled across the white gold and every time he looked at it, he was reminded of how it got there and that the only over one like it belonged to the grumpy man in the corner booth.

Recently Zoro had been promoted at his job and needed to take a small teaching coarse so he could teach the kendo classes at the large gym he worked at. The blonde filled the cup and stepped around the counter, walking quietly over to where Zoro was scrubbing his hands through his hair in frustration.

The mug clinked softly as Sanji set it down, sliding into the booth opposite him and picking up the sugar. "Take a break moss head. I brought you coffee."

"Thanks." Zoro threw the pencil he had into the open book and dropped back against the booth seat with an annoyed sigh. "I don't see what half this stuff has to do with teaching sword fighting. I am never going to use "reasoning skills" with these kids. If they don't listen, they get out. That simple."

"You just need to pass this coarse then you can teach the way you want to." Sanji slid the cup closer to his husband, returning the sugar to its rightful spot. With a tilt of his head, the moss head took the cup and was quiet as he took a sip. He held it close to his mouth, staring off to the side deep in thought. "What?" The cook asked.

"Just thinking about this stupid coarse is all." The swordsman sighed, setting the cup down. "The shit I do sometimes."

"You could have said no."

"Yeah right. And let _you_ have the bigger paycheck shit cook? Not going to happen."

Sanji chuckled as he stood back up. "You're just mad you weren't handed a business at the wedding."

"Che...like I would want one. Kinda was anyways. Was too late by then to back out of marrying your shitty ass."

"So loving." Sanji leaned over into Zoro's place. "I need to open now."

Zoro leaned back, searching Sanji's face for a second with a scowl before giving him a kiss. "Have fun. I will be here, pulling out my hair with this shit."

Shortly after unlocking the doors with a small click, Sanji welcomed his normal early morning customers and went about his day, completely forgetting about Zoro in the corner. A loud "Sanji feed me!" from Luffy about an hour later was normal and the cook didn't even bat an eye as he went out back to list off the two meals he would need to the cooks in the kitchen.

His back against the door, Sanji pushed through holding the two plates. One for his hard working husband, the other for his moss ball's bottomless pit of a best friend. The smile fell from his lips as he turned though and had Sanji been any other person, he would have dropped the plates as well as he turned and stopped dead in his tracks.

His heart stopped. Sanji could actually feel it stop beating in his chest as he stared across the busy cafe. Zoro had stood on his side of the booth, as awkward a feat at it was and was pressing a kiss to Luffy's forehead. The blonde knew that look. The half-lidded eyes and the rare soft expression on his face. The cook had seen it a hundred, no a thousand times over the last few years, mostly after sex and now, here he was seeing it in the middle of his cafe, directed towards another man.

Setting the plates on the counter, he gained a strange look from his waitress as he asked her to deliver the food and pushed back through the kitchen doors, digging for a cigarette as he mindlessly headed for the back door.

The cool air hit him hard as he slumped against the wall, sucking hard at his cigarette. Only one thought running through his head over and over and with each time Sanji's world crumbled that much more.

Zoro had just kissed Luffy.


	2. Our

Our

_Zoro had just kissed Luffy!_

Sanji stared off at nothing, the only feeling he could identify being the one of smoke burning his lungs. That same sentence playing over and over again in his head as he ground his teeth. He had thought that kiss had been personal and intimate. Something the swordsman had only shared with him. What had the last three years meant to Zoro then? Why had the man done everything he had for Sanji? Was this new? Was Sanji not able to live up to what Zoro wanted or needed anymore? Yeah, the cook was working more, but he was running a cafe now, not just helping Zeff run the large restaurant. Had Zoro grown tired of Sanji's long hours and gone else where? Luffy would be a reasonable choice he guessed. Zoro and the black haired kid had been long time friends before he had ever come into the picture. Hell, it was Luffy who had introduced them in typical scatterbrained form. Driven by his need to eat, he had dragged the gorgeous green-haired man into the Baratie for lunch one day. The rest had been history.

_Ironic use of words dumb ass_, Sanji berated himself with a roll of his eyes.

Sanji kicked at the wall, scuffing his shoe and further angering himself. Zoro had never once shown any signs of being unhappy, but then again, Zoro hardly ever showed any type of anything beyond utter disappointment. His eyes only ever seemed to light up after returning from work at the gym, when the cook brought him food or after...

Sanji had just assumed that look had been only for him. The blonde felt sick and leaned back against the wall, taking a slow deep breath. The last thing he needed was to get sick and have to go home...no not home anymore he supposed. He would go to see Zeff after work. Let Zoro have their house.

He wasn't out there long before the door bust open and a very wide eyed Zoro appeared. The cook knew it wouldn't take long as the waitress would have brought the food over and Zoro would have instantly knew something was up.

No one besides the cook ever took him his food. "Sanji, you okay? What happened? Something wrong? You didn't bring over our food."

Sanji snorted, pissed off amusement at the shit head's words. "Ours." He grumbled under his breath. "Ya know, I'm fine. Just needed a smoke break."

Sanji's sharp tone told Zoro he was not fine, but didn't question the man as he nodded and muttered an "okay" before turning back towards the door. Grabbing the door and opening it, Zoro quietly said, "Luffy says hi." before disappearing back inside.

"Of course he does," Sanji said to the dumpster after the door had clicked shut. "Hi, I'm here to destroy your life."


	3. Decision

Decision

To say Zeff was for once surprised as an angry blonde whirlwind entered the office at the Baratie would have been an understatement. Yes, Zeff had seen his adoptive son angry before, but not like this. This was different. His whole body shook with a barely controlled rage, fists clenched at his sides, head bent forwards, masking his features.

"What is it Sanji?"

The blonde snapped his head up at the rare use of his actual name from the old man and the older chef could see the red rings around his son's eyes and the swelling of his nose from where he had been wiping at it with his jacket sleeve. Sanji bit at his lip, not quite sure if he really wanted to talk to his father about what he had discovered or not, but in the end took a deep breath and began to talk.

Zeff ignored the tears that came with the words, for once it was not the time to gripe on the young man as he heard Sanji utter painfully, "I caught Zoro cheating this morning."

He frowned. He had actually liked Zoro but if this is what he was going to do to his Baby Eggplant, then the green haired man really did have a death wish. Zeff grunted. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know!" Sanji practically yelled at the man, his ability to be able to take out his frustrations on him coming forth. "I never thought I would have to deal with something like this! I'm a lot of things Old Man, you know that, but I'm not a cheater and I just assumed Zoro wasn't either."

"You two being married makes things really complicated."

"I know that!" The blonde dropped heavily into one of the plush chairs with a groan, head in hand. "Good thing All Blue is still in your name. He can't touch that. Our house, the car, the bike...all of that though..." Sanji trailed off, wiping at his face again.

"It's just stuff." Zeff shrugged. "I can let you use my car till you can get a new one. Your room is just as you left it as well."

Sanji looked up at the other man. The man he once accidentally called father when they had been in their apartment. The old geezer was always judging him and never had a kind word to say, but Sanji loved him just the same. If it wasn't for Zeff though, Sanji knew he wouldn't even be having this conversation. He opened his mouth to speak when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw _Zoro_ flash across the screen. With a groan he pressed the end call button and tossed the cell phone on the desk.

"That him?" Zeff nodded towards the phone. "I can have Patti or Carne go over to your place if you want to gather some things for you so you don't have to."

"No, I will do it." Sanji shook his head. "I just...I just need to calm down first. I don't want to walk in there and break his nose."

"Or maybe you do." Zeff stood up from the desk, walking around to Sanji and placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't need to say anything and just stood with him for a moment before removing his hand and walking to the door. "Take all the time you need Sanji. My door is always open to you, you know that."

With that, Zeff walked out, leaving the emotionally drained Sanji to his own thoughts.

The second he heard the door click closed, Sanji burst into tears again. Body wracking sobs came uncontrollable as every possible reason as to why Zoro would not want him anymore came to him mind. Then the anger hit. First at himself for being so stupid and not seeing this sooner. How could he have been so blind to all this? How could he have not seen it coming? How could he not seen through the pretended lies Zoro spun at him? Had the green haired man ever loved him at all?

Second at Zoro, who would have known all along that this was a game. A simple waste of his time as he possibly waited for Luffy to be in the right place so they could be together. Or had they been all along? Sanji searched his memories for any hint, any sign that he had been the second man in Zoro's eyes and even though he came up with nothing, there was still that kiss in his cafe this morning.

Then again, maybe Sanji wasn't coming up with any times because it had all seemed to be normal and innocent to him. So what if Zoro would go out roughly once a week to "drink with the guys" as he put it. The cook had always been invited, but declined saying Zoro needed his time away from Sanji as much as the cook needed his time from the swordsman. It had never once crossed his mind to go or that anything was amiss.

_Oh god._

Had Zoro planned on that? Had he expected the blonde to turn him down and instead of actually going and hanging with friends, had he gone to see Luffy? Had he been sharing the swordsman all along with the straw hat wearing man?

_Roronoa Sanji you fucking moron._

No, not Roronoa, not now. He would go back to Black and never set foot in a relationship again! Slipping off his wedding ring, Sanji carefully placed it on top of his phone and stood up.

He needed to go 'home' one last time.


	4. Home

Home

The house was quiet and dark. He wasn't sure why he expected any different. Zoro was probably over at Luffy's laughing it up at his plight. Stupid blonde thought he had something great, no amazing, this whole time and Zoro and Luffy had just come along and kicked it all out from under him.

Angrily Sanji stalked past the dozen roses that hung on the wall, headed for the bedroom. They had dried them as a reminder of their engagement day. The strong blue hues dulled and slightly brown from the process, Sanji usually stopped to admire them. Today it took all he had not to rip them off the wall and stomp on them. He wanted to, oh very much so, but the less he could disturb so that Zoro wouldn't be aware of his coming over, the better. He may act like a brainless moron, but Zoro was far from stupid and very attentive.

The bedroom door was cracked from where he had half shut it in his haste that morning, clothes still thrown about the floor. It appeared Zoro had not been home yet. Grabbing a backpack from the closet, Sanji threw the few non work clothes, mostly a couple pairs of sweatpants he slept in and a couple really old faded T-shirts, into the bag and turned for the bathroom to collect his toothbrush and shower supplies.

The dark figure in the doorway caused him to jump. "What are you doing?" Zoro asked quietly, voice sounding just a little too hoarse than normal. "I have been trying to call you all damned afternoon. Where have you been?"

"Fuck off." Sanji walked to the door and shouldered past Zoro, heading down the hall and deeper into the small one bedroom house. He was in no mood to talk to his oh so loving husband right now and was having a hard enough time controlling his own temper. He didn't need to flare Zoro's because that most certainly would mean a fight and the last thing Sanji needed was to give Zoro more ammo for the courts when they went in for the divorce.

"Sanji." Zoro's voice followed him into the bathroom and the blonde paused for just a moment before snatching his shampoo with a growl and turning grab his razor and shaving gel. "Talk to me cook."

"No." Sanji stalked back out of the bathroom, towards the front door, passing Zoro, who still stood in the bedroom doorway, looking just as confused as ever. Some act the moss ball had going on. Sanji had never pinned him to be a good actor, but at this point, Sanji also wasn't sure _what_ he really knew about Roronoa Zoro anyways. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Where is this coming from?" Zoro pleaded with him as Sanji dug his keys out of his pocket and took off the front door key, tossing it onto the table where it slid across to almost fall off the other edge. "What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me Sanji?"

Sanji kept his back to the door. Hand on the nob, he took a deep breath and turned it, opening it slightly. Some part of him wanted to drop the bag and turn to the man, rush into his strong arms and just cry until it didn't hurt anymore. To tell Zoro he would forgive him for everything that had happened up to this point if he would just leave Luffy and remain faithful to him. That he would change, stop working so many hours and cater to his every whim. He wanted to tell Zoro that he needed him. Needed him to be there for him. Loved waking up to him in the morning and curling against him to fall asleep at night...

No, Sanji reminded himself as he could hear Zoro take a single step forwards. No, not anymore. Zoro had made the choice for him and he was going to end it now before it got even worse.

Exhaling, he spoke a single word. A word dripping with all the hate and venom he could muster for not only Zoro, but Luffy and the hidden pain they had dragged him through the last three years. Then he stepped out onto the porch, slamming the door behind him, not even giving Zoro the time to react to the word. "Luffy."

Slamming Zeff's car door, Sanji started the engine and backed out of the driveway as Zoro threw open the door and ran towards the road. His face was shocked and bewildered and the cook could have sworn he saw tears in those dark green eyes, but he didn't care as he drove down the road and hopefully out of that bastard's life.


	5. Caring

Caring

A week went by and Sanji never heard from Zoro. Not that Sanji was really caring or actively looking at his phone either. When he had returned to the Baratie that night, he had shut it off and it had remained that way ever since. Zeff said Zoro had been by once, but when Carne and Patti met him at the door, he had turned and left without a word.

He shut himself off from the world, curling up in a blanket and sitting on the couch of the small apartment his grew up in. Mindlessly, he sat, smoking cigarette after cigarette, rerunning his entire life this last three years over and over in his head. So many times did he do this that eventually it gave the chef a headache and he had passed out on the couch after taking some pain medicine.

The only time he had interacted with anyone besides Zeff was when the family lawyer, a beautiful woman by the name of Nico Robin swung by with some questions and and some paperwork for Sanji to fill out about the divorce. It still lay, half way completed, on the coffee table.

He heard the front door open and close. He heard the removal of shoes and a sigh. "Oi, Sanji!" The familiar voice rang out and despite his week, Sanji gave a small smile at the voice. "You awake? Zeff said you were up here and that I should come up."

Sanji's best friend poked his head into the living room and Usopp frowned at the state the cook was in. His hair was a mess and he looked like he hadn't showered in a couple days...which was unheard of. He was wearing sweat pants and a ratty T-shirt, a filled ashtray and a couple packs of cigarettes thrown across the table. He gave a long low whistle as he dropped onto the couch next to the blonde. "Zeff said you had a rough week. I didn't realize he meant your world blew up."

"It has though." Sanji stared off at some point on the floor and it took all he had to tear his gaze away and look to his friend. "Usopp, it has fallen apart."

"What happened?" Usopp threw one leg up onto the table, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at the blonde. "The last time you were like this was when that stupid fish in the aquarium died downstairs."

"I loved Mr. Bubbles!" Sanji snapped, remembering the large orange carp that had been in the restaurant's fish tank for as long as the blonde could remember. "I—" he paused, taking a deep breath and biting his lip as he tried not to start crying again. "I caught Zoro cheating at the All Blue last week with Luffy!"

"What?!" Usopp's jaw dropped. That was not possible. There was no way that Zoro would do something like that to Sanji. The blonde had to have seen something else.

"It's true." Sanji nodded numbly, lighting another cigarette. Throwing the lighter back on the table, he leaned back into the couch, pulling his blanket tighter around himself. "I have felt sick all week Usopp. I haven't heard from him, not that I have been waiting by my phone either. Its in my room with the ring." Sanji jerked his head towards the small bedroom he had grown up in. "I am just gonna stay here with the Old Man for a while. Gonna go back to work tomorrow and attempt to start my life again."

"Something isn't adding up Sanji." Usopp ran a paint spattered hand through his thick hair. "I saw Zoro yesterday. He didn't look like he was happy and enjoying life. I was inside the studio though, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him." Getting up, the apprentice painter walked towards his friend's room, disappearing inside and coming back a second later with Sanji's phone. The blonde heard the tell tale start up tones and Usopp set it on the table as he sat back down.

He leaned forwards arms on his knees as he waited for it to fully turn on and to update. After a moment the phone started to beep and chime and ring, all of the different tones Sanji used sounding, telling the two there were several text messages, missed appointments and voice mails waiting for him.

Sanji didn't move, just flicked ash into the ashtray near his arm and went back to inhaling the smoke. "What's your pass code?" Usopp picked up the phone and dialed the voice mail button, asking for the four digit number when prompted by the phone.

"Seven, three, two, six." Sanji mindlessly rattled off the numbers as his friend pushed them in.

"_You have three new voice messages. To listen to your messages; press one."_ The monotone voice of the phone blurted out her message and Usopp looked to Sanji one last time before pressing the button on the phone.


	6. Message

Message

The first message was from the sous chef at All Blue letting him know he had talked to Zeff and he hoped that Sanji enjoyed his vacation and he promised everything would be fine.

"Delete?"

"Sure." Sanji shrugged and Usopp hit the appropriate button.

The phone sounded. _"Next new message."_

"Sanji." It was Zoro and the blonde stiffened at the sound of his name coming through the scratchy speaker of his phone. "I'm not sure what happened today, but whatever is it...please just talk to me." There was a pause and a sigh and Sanji knew, despite the fact he couldn't see it, that Zoro would be scratching the back of his head. "I love you Sanji."

The cook snorted at that and Usopp turned with a raised eyebrow, questioning whether he should delete it or keep it. Sanji shook his head and again, Usopp hit the delete key.

The last message was also from Zoro, but this one was dated from the day before. "Hey, cook..." The swordsman's voice sounded hoarse and broken, almost like he hadn't been sleeping and had been crying. In the background the pair was sure they could hear some one else crying as well. "Look, I don't know what I did or what Luffy did, but, please, I need to talk to you." There was a sniffle, followed by what sounded like a swallow. When Zoro spoke again, his voice shook as if the man was holding back tears of his own. "Sanji...this isn't even about you or me or anything right now. Whatever is going on...just I need you right now. I need to hear your voice. Call me, please?"

The message ended and the voice began it's metallic rehearsed message on whether or not the message should be saved or not. Usopp ended the call, bypassing both options and turned to Sanji who was sitting wide eyed next to him, staring at the phone. "That didn't sound like a man who was cheating on you."

"I know what I saw Usopp." Sanji frowned.

"And I know what I saw and now what I have heard." He sat back, crossing his arms and staring at his friend. "This happened with Kaya once. Just a huge misunderstanding. You should talk to him Sanji. Even if it's not and what you saw was true, you need that for yourself. You owe it to yourself to talk to him one more time, even if it's to tell him to go stab himself with that sword of his. Don't you think?"

"I don't know what to think Usopp." Sanji's mind was blank.


	7. Voice

Voice

Usopp stayed a while longer. Zeff brought them lunch and the two idly chit-chatted while they ate. Then the painter's phone rang and with a sigh, Usopp stood up. "That's the studio. I need to go. Keep in touch Sanji. Really, I mean it. If you need anything you have both mine and Kaya's numbers right?"

"Yes." Sanji nodded, still replaying Zoro's last voice mail and his friend's words to talk to him over in his head. Saying his goodbyes and gathering the plates to take downstairs with him, Usopp quietly slipped out of the apartment, leaving Sanji to think.

It took him two more hours to get up the nerve to call Zoro.

On the second ring, the green haired man picked up, breathing a sigh of relief and panic as he spoke. "Oh thank god Sanji. I have missed you so much." Zoro's voice still sounded hoarse and broken and Sanji tried hard not to let his heart break again. All he wanted to do suddenly was comfort Zoro and tell him he would be right there...where ever there was. It took every once of control he had to steel himself against the voice he had fallen in love with as it spoke to him through the phone.

There was no hate there. Nothing that would suggest to Sanji that Zoro had any idea he knew about him cheating on the blonde. The only hint he had ever dropped had been to speak Luffy's name once and that could have honestly been referring to anything about the black haired man. The cook closed his hand into a fist, short nails digging into his palm before he spoke. "Yeah."

It was all he could allow himself to say. If he spoke any more, Sanji was sure he would crack and go back to the shit head. It would make him appear weak and Sanji Black was anything but weak.

Zoro swallowed once before continuing. "Can we talk Sanji? Like face to face? I have something really important to tell you and I don't want to do it over the phone."

The blonde opened his mouth to speak. Took the deep breath, but paused. What could it be that Zoro had to tell him? Maybe he wanted to throw it in his face again that the cook was just second rate in his eyes.

The silence hung heavy in the air around Sanji and he could only imagine what Zoro was doing. Was he rolling his eyes, writing little notes on scraps of paper to Luffy about how stupid the cook was? He would do that with Sanji when he was on the phone, pushing little horribly drawn pictures and words scribbled in his messy hand writing at him in an attempt to get him to laugh during the cook's important phone calls. "Why?" Sanji finally hissed out. "So you can shove all this in my face again?"

He couldn't stop the words despite hearing Luffy call Zoro's name out half way through the sentence. The other man sounded frantic and tired,but Sanji pushed it from his head. He really didn't give a fuck what that bastard sounded like. "Huh?" Zoro's voice sounded in the phone after a quick muffled conversation. "Sorry, Luffy needed something. What'd you say?"

"Nothing." Sanji barely breathed the word, sinking down deep into the couch and biting back the tears. "You have one shot Roronoa." He growled out the words, daring his soon to be ex-husband to challenge him. "Meet me at the All Blue tomorrow at opening."

"O—Okay." Zoro sounded confused, but he didn't care. A sigh came across the phone. "I have wanted nothing more than to talk to you this week. I will see you tomorrow cook. I lo—"

Sanji closed his phone, cutting off Zoro's words and chucking it onto the table where it bounced and slid, teetering for a moment before dropping with a thump onto the carpet.


	8. Meeting

Meeting

The alarm on Sanji's phone went off and with blurry eyes he shut it off, stretching and climbing out of his little twin bed. He could hear Zeff in the kitchen, banging and clanking and smell the coffee. "You awake Little Eggplant?"

"Don't call me that crap geezer..." Sanji mumbled under his breath. "Yeah I'm up Old Man." He called as he turned towards the bathroom. He stepped into the small area and glanced in the mirror. Usopp had been right. He really did look like shit.

Turning on the water to the shower, Sanji took a deep breath and slipped out of his night clothes and into the warm running water. Everything ached and he wasn't even sure why. His shoulders were tense and sore. His back stiff. He hadn't slept well and was nervous, his body slightly trembling all over. _I'm going back to work,_ he said to himself. _I'm going back to run my cafe and start over again. I will tell Zoro to fuck off and be done with it._

There it was. His legs felt weak as a mental image of the man belonging to that name flashed through his head. That was why he was shaking all over and his throat felt dry despite the mouthful of warm shower spray he had just swallowed. Zoro. He had told the green haired man to meet him at the All Blue this morning at opening.

Sanji scrubbed his hands through his hair in frustration, the shampoo bubbles sliding down the side of his face. He blinked at the sensation, getting soap in his eye, bringing a soap covered hand down to rub at it, only making it worse. "Fuck!" He swore loudly and a few seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

"What are you doing in there boy?"

"Dieing." Sanji muttered back.

"Don't clog up my drain with your shitty blood. I don't want to have to pay a plumber to snake it out."

"Love you too Old Man." Sanji dropped his head forwards, rinsing out his hair. He quickly scrubbed clean and shut the water off, grabbing a towel and stepping out the shower. Physically he felt better. It was always nice to feel clean after a shower. He ran through the motions of getting dried, brushing his teeth, combing his hair and getting dressed. He dug around in the back of the bathroom cabinet for the old bottle of cologne he had left when he moved out, all the while thinking about what he would say to Zoro when he saw him that morning.

How long have you and Luffy been a thing? Did I ever mean anything to you? Why did you keep it a secret? Why didn't you just tell me you were unhappy with me? What did I do so wrong to make you stray elsewhere? Can I change your mind? I still love you. I'm sorry I haven't been there as much lately, running a business is a lot of work. I want a divorce. Please don't leave me...

Stepping into the kitchen, a breakfast sandwich was shoved into his hands. "You need to eat boy." Zeff turned back to the stove, making one for himself as well. "You also need to leave. You better get over to the cafe if you plan on opening on time."

"I know what I need to do shitty old man. Stop telling me what to do. I'm twenty-six years old."

"And living in my house."

"Whatever." Sanji rolled his eyes, mouth full of food. He poured a cup of coffee into one of the travel mugs and headed for the door. Setting the cup down, he picked up the car keys and opened the door.

"Sanji." Zeff poked his head out of the kitchen and the blonde turned, raising an eyebrow as he swallowed and took another bite of his breakfast. "Kick his moss headed ass son." The older chef smiled. "It's the least he deserves for messing with you."

Sanji chuckled. "I will."

The car ride was quiet and did nothing to calm the blonde's nerves. He tapped his palm on the steering wheel, his toes bouncing, causing his whole leg to jerk. He inhaled, exhaling in a shuddered breath. At a stop light, he lit up a cigarette, but even that did nothing to calm his anxiety at seeing the other man.

_Okay, relax Sanji. Even with everything that's going on...this is still Zoro. I can do this. I can talk to him. Tell him how I feel and make him go away._ Parking in the spot reserved for him, Sanji locked the car behind him and unlocked the front door, letting himself and the morning staff waiting for him into the small cafe. A chorus of welcome backs and how was the vacation greeted him and he smiled briefly, masking the pain that was building in his gut.

By the time the chef turned the open sign on the the front doors and searched the parking lot, his heart was in his throat, beating so loud and fast he was sure he was having a heart attack. A couple of the morning regulars walked in, giving a hearty good morning and welcoming back the blonde. His smile was distracted as he kept looking out to the parking lot, expecting to see either his car or Zoro's bike come flying into the area.

Bile built in the back of his throat, daring his body to throw up and Sanji was tempted to give in and share his breakfast with the sidewalk. Maybe it would make him feel better. The blood was pounding in his ears and Sanji was pretty sure he had never been so nervous in his life.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his dress slacks, eyes searching the road in either direction. He wanted to get this over with. Rip this wound open one last time so he could heal it and move on. "Oh, Mr. Roronoa, we need you in the kitchen!"

Sanji winced at the name and closed the front door, walking back to the kitchen. His sous chef was standing at the back door arguing with one of the delivery guys, waving a couple sheets of paper in his hand. The delivery guy, in turn, was pointing to a stack of produce boxes, angrily shouting back. Swallowing back his pain and putting forth his in charge composure, he walked into the middle of the argument in an attempt to figure out what exactly was going on.

Hours past and Sanji continued his day, forgetting all about meeting with Zoro and the array of emotions it brought him. He easily slipped back into his daily routine of yelling and cooking, laughing and joking with his staff and creating all types of great foods for the people that came in all day long. All Blue was his baby and Sanji was happy to be back in the kitchen where he belonged.

It wasn't till after lunch and the morning shift was leaving, replaced by the evening crew that Sanji realized Zoro had never shown.


	9. Apology

Apology

Sanji had removed his jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves and was grumbling about how this was going to ruin his pants and shirt. He liked this shirt. "I'm sorry!" His closing dishwasher stood near him, hands crunching and bunching the apron tied to his waist. "I don't know what happened. It just stopped."

"It's fine." Sanji frowned as he pulled a spoon from the drain he had his arm down in. "It was probably the morning guy. He's pretty lazy. I don't know why I haven't fired him yet. See?" He held up the spoon. "Put it back together and see what she does."

With a nod, the kid got back to work, and Sanji headed to the other sink to wash his hands and forearms. He sighed, Zoro once again invading his mind the second it was clear of anything else. Part of him was glad Zoro had not shown up, his answer clear by not even needing to appear. Sanji would finish filling out the paper work tonight and tomorrow during his lunch take it to the court house.

Yet part of him was sad, horrified even, that Zoro would just shrug him off like that. He had said he would be here and never had Sanji seen Zoro not do something he said he would. Yes, he would be late at times, but never not show.

So this was his answer. Sanji felt he was that much more justified in his actions and conclusions. Roronoa Zoro, the man who he had decided to share his life with, had moved past him and now Sanji needed to do the same. There came an excited cry from the dish room as the machine rumbled to life and Sanji picked up a towel to dry off his hands. "I'm gonna go bring the sidewalk sign in and take a smoke break."

"Okay boss," the kid poked his head around the corner of the machine with a huge grin. "I will be here!"

Quietly Sanji walked into the dining area, the waitress sitting at the counter filling salt and pepper shakers, a stack of folded napkins off to the side. She looked up briefly, but went back to what she was doing as Sanji pushed open the door, the small bell chiming as he exited.

The air was cool and Sanji lit up before walking towards the road to collect the chalk board sign that was placed by the road each morning. The day's specials were scrawled along the middle, surrounded by the elaborate pattern decorating the edge. The blonde stood and stared at it a moment, taking another drag off his cigarette before taking that final step forwards, folding the hinges in on themselves and picking up the wooden sign.

His shoes clicked quietly on the cement as he walked back towards the door. The lights dimmed as he approached the door, hitting the designated time he had set when they opened the cafe. Setting the sign down, he shoved his hand in his pocket, messing with the keys as he took a drag on the smoke.

The familiar rumble caused him to turn and he frowned with an exhale as the bike and it's green haired owner stopped short in front of him.

Zoro ripped off the helmet and Sanji's breath caught in his chest. Zoro looked horrible. No, horrible wasn't the word for it. Sanji had never seen him look so bad. His eyes were blood shot and rimmed in red, dark rings from lack of sleep under them. His hair was messed, not that it was ever neat, but it was most certainly beyond his normal look and there was a layer of light green fuzz covering his cheeks and chin.

"Sanji!" Zoro choked on the word as he dropped his helmet, the item landing with a bounce in the parking lot, and stepped towards him. The blonde took a step away, back hitting the glass doors with a thump and a rattle. Zoro paused, but only for a second before tears formed in his eyes and he reached out to Sanji, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into a hug.

Sanji froze. He didn't know what to do. One hand holding the cigarette, the other still in his pocket, he just started blankly over Zoro's shoulder to the black helmet that was still rolling on the ground. Slowly, he pulled his hand from his pocket, dropped the cigarette and tentatively wrapped his arms around the other man. Zoro buried his face deeper into the cook's shoulder, gripping the back of his shirt tighter, his whole body trembling. The blonde could feel the warmth of the other man's tears soaking into his shirt as the two stood there awkwardly in the parking lot of All Blue Cafe.

"Say something. Anything Sanji. I just need to hear your voice." Zoro mumbled into his shirt with a sniffle.

"...what?" It was all the blonde's brain could come up with. This was most certainly _not_ what he had been expecting to see when he told Zoro he wanted to meet. He had been expecting anger and rage. Even laughing mockery. Sanji had not been expecting sadness and heart break at the sight of his husband looking so distraught and unkempt.

Anger gripped him then and Sanji moved his hands to Zoro's chest, shoving him back away from him. The man stumbled back, catching himself and looking wide eyed at Sanji, clearly not understanding what was going on. "I'm sorry!" He blurted out, wiping at his eyes with the palm of his hands. "I didn't know Luffy was that big of a problem for you. I will stop hanging out with him, I swear Sanji. Please, just..."

"You're sorry!" Sanji snapped at him. "How do you think I feel? Doesn't anything we have been through mean anything to you, you shitty moss head!" His hands snapped into fists at his sides. "I apparently have done nothing but waste the last three years of my life on you! I have done nothing but love you and try to make your life better and this is what you do to me?"

Tears ran down his cheeks, but Zoro's eye brows lowered as he returned the blonde's angry rage. "I didn't think you could be this jealous cook. Luffy has been my best friend for almost twenty years."

"Ah well, this makes _perfect _sense then doesn't it?! Leave the man you have only known for three years for the best friend of twenty. So sorry to have wasted your time Zoro." Sanji turned back towards the door throwing a hand in the air. "I will make sure the divorce papers are on the court house desk first thing in the morning."

"You...you want a divorce?" The anger drained from Zoro's words as he stood looking at the back of the blonde. He could see the tension in the lithe shoulders as his hand paused on the door handle. "I didn't know you were that unhappy Sanji. I thought we were doing fine."

"Fine?!" Sanji ground his teeth, whipping back around to Zoro and stalking up to him, getting right in his face. "You call _this_ fine?! I guess I thought you made your choice last week and then I gave you one more shot this morning to prove to me that you wanted to be with me and you blew it. You never showed. Yes, Zoro, I do want a divorce. I'm sure Luffy and you will be able to laugh it up as soon as I'm not in the picture anymore."

"Luffy?" Zoro tilted his head to the side, speaking the name slowly as things began to click in his head, then his face dropped. "Oh shit, Sanji, you saw me kiss him last week didn't you?" The angry glare caused Zoro to grab Sanji by the upper arms tightly. "It's not what you think Sanji, I swear. Luffy came in that morning to talk to me, that was all."

"About leaving me? What? He couldn't wait anymore." Sanji tried to jerk out of Zoro's grasp, but the green haired man just hung on tighter.

"No, you stupid moron." He choked on his words again and swallowed, the tears once again forming in his eyes. "Luffy came that morning to tell me about Ace. Sanji, Luffy's brother died this morning. That's why I didn't make it. That's why I kissed him. I have been at the hospital all week trying to figure out what I did to you and to keep Luffy from destroying that place."

Sanji stopped struggling, eyes going wide as he looked at the mess of a man in front of him. "Ace..Ace is dead?"


	10. Misunderstanding

Misunderstanding

His head swam. A million things began to run through his mind and Sanji felt dizzy. He teetered back and was glad that Zoro was still holding onto him for he was sure that he would have fallen right there in the parking lot. He was such an idiot. Going and flying off the handle like usual, not even letting Zoro explain himself.

"Yeah." Zoro nodded, swallowing hard as he gathered Sanji to him. "Some tumor or some shit in his brain. He had come that morning to tell me surgery was that afternoon. Then after I went back inside he was on the phone and we rushed to the hospital. It didn't work. He's been in an induced coma all week. Fuck Sanji." Zoro broke again, dropping his forehead to the blonde's shoulder.

"Zoro...I..." Sanji placed his hands on Zoro's hips, grabbing the belt to steady himself. The cook felt about five inches tall. He should have been there for Zoro this past week, but instead he had spent the week in self pity thinking up any and all possible scenarios as to why Zoro would leave him.

"I couldn't take it anymore cook." The swordsman's voice shook with each word he spoke. His hands wrapped in Sanji's shirt and the moss head just held on tightly. "Luffy didn't want me to leave. I had to. I needed to see you. I needed to know why you were so mad at me."

"I'm sorry..." Sanji whispered. "So so sorry." He ran a hand through the green hair, shaking his head. "This is all my fault."

"I shouldn't have done what I did."

"No, Zoro," Sanji lifted his face up by the chin to look at him. Green eyes blinked at him as Zoro bit his lip, fighting back the tears. "I should have known better. It's Luffy we are talking about. I should have trusted you; but that...look..." Sanji trailed off, looking off to the side. Guilt over took him and he sighed through his nose, dropping his shoulders.

"Look?" Zoro wiped his hand across his face. "What look?"

"You have this...oh never mind. I'm an asshole and I'm sorry." Sanji shook his head. "Finish helping me close up and we will both go back to the hospital okay?" He gave a small smile as he looked back at his husband. He really didn't deserve this after the hell week he had mindlessly just put them through.

"Garp's there now." Zoro stepped back from Sanji, noticing the waitress with arms crossed in the glass of the door. "I think she wants to go home." He nodded in her direction and Sanji turned to see her frown at the two men, making a motion with her hand as if to say hurry it up guys.

"She has to wait for the dishes to get done anyways. Grab your helmet. It's probably all scratched to shit now." Sanji nodded towards the item on the ground.

Zoro gave a small laugh and turned to pick up the helmet. "You can buy me a new one to say sorry."

"Right now...I would buy you a whole fucking store full of them to say sorry." Sanji pulled open the door as the waitress rolled her eyes and stomped off, heels clicking as she went.

"Hey, cook," Zoro paused at the door, holding his helmet out to Sanji. "Take this. I will get the sign and lock the door." Wordlessly the blonde took the helmet and set it on the counter as he went back into the kitchen to check on the dishes and finish up the end of day stuff. He checked to make sure everything was shut off and the work stations and make tables cleaned and wiped down.

He was just about to push open the large walk-in refrigerator door when Zoro pulled it open. "I'm hungry."

"Well I can't do anything about it now. Everything is cleaned for the night." Sanji frowned as the door clicked closed behind Zoro, effectively shutting him off from the warmth outside the tiny space. He had been in here for a few minutes and was getting cold. He still hadn't put his suit jacket back on yet. "We can get something from the cafeteria at the hospital."

"Don't wanna." Zoro shook his head. "I have been there enough this week. Luffy's got Garp there now. They won't be there much longer now anyways with Ace..." He stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I really just wanna go home. I want to sleep in my own bed and take a shower."

"You, shower?" Sanji snorted. "Can we get out of here now? It's fucking cold."

"Wimp." Zoro put his hand against the little plastic knob but didn't open it. He just looked at Sanji with that intense look he had at times. Jaw tight, eye brows lowered, eyes piercing into your very soul. Sanji felt himself shudder, but he wasn't sure if it was from that look or the cold. "Promise me you will talk to me next time and not flip out in your typical fashion. I asked you to marry me remember? What makes you think I would be willing to throw all that away?"

"I don't know. How can I make it up to you? I feel so fucking horrible. I should have been there this week. I don't know why you are even talking to me." Sanji stuffed his hands in his pockets to try to keep them warm and lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Sanji," Zoro's voice was firm and the blonde heard him cross his arms. "You are an asshole and a jerk. You're self centered and pig headed. You never think and usually leave a trail of carnage where ever you wander."

"Yeah, I know." Sanji looked up at Zoro. The man's eyebrows were still lowered and he was sporting that scowl, but his tone was soft again.

"You are such an idiot. How could I not forgive you?"

"Cause I don't deserve it?" Sanji muttered.

Zoro took a breath to respond but the door flew open and the dishwasher appeared. "Mister Roro...no...ah, I—uh, the dishes are done. I'm interrupting aren't I? I can leave? I will leave." He let go of the door and walked away. Zoro caught it and pushed it open stepping back out into the warm kitchen air. Sanji followed quickly, thankful to be out of the cold room. "We are ready when you are!" The dishwasher called from the kitchen doors.

"You're right, by the way," Zoro looked over his shoulder to the blonde, arms still crossed. "You don't deserve to be forgiven. But at the same time, I deserve everything you have thrown at me this week. I should have told you when I came out back instead of taking your fake excuse of needing a smoke instead of bringing me breakfast."

Sanji opened his mouth to retort, but the swordsman turned to face him. "Let's just go home okay? Bring Zeff his car and we can take the bike to the house. I will get cleaned up and then we can go to bed. I will tell you everything in the morning."

The blonde smiled, a small one, but one just the same. "I can cook you something while you are in the shower. You said you were hungry after all."


End file.
